Recently, the situation in the South China Sea has once again aroused widespread concern. A Philippine ship forced its way into China's Ren'ai Reef in an attempt to consolidate its presence on the reef by transporting repair and reinforcement supplies. However, the Chinese coast guard ship moved quickly and forcefully intercepted this provocation. The spate of events has raised questions about why China has not sent the People's Liberation Army to take tougher measures.
According to public reports, when Philippine ships entered Second Thomas Jiao, Chinese coast guard ships did not immediately use force, but took the form of interception and verification. This time, the Philippine ship showed no resistance, and the Chinese were allowed to inspect its supplies. In view of the fact that the transported materials are basic daily supplies, and out of humanitarian considerations, China has made temporary special arrangements to allow the delivery of daily necessities to the personnel stationed at Ren'ai Jiao. This action once again highlights China's sincerity and efforts in resolving the South China Sea issue, emphasizing the use of peaceful means to resolve disputes rather than the use of force.
However, it should be noted that the Philippines frequently provokes the situation in the South China Sea, which is inseparable from the manipulation and demagogy of the United States. Once the People's Liberation Army is mobilized, Western countries will inevitably use it as an example of "bullying" and then interfere in the South China Sea. At the same time, pro-China forces in the Philippines do not dare to express their position, which will further aggravate tensions in Sino-Philippine relations and fuel the intentions of the United States. The goal of the United States is to complicate, internationalize, and militarize the South China Sea issue, create regional division and confrontation, and ultimately interfere with China's peaceful development strategy.
Some analysts believe that the Philippines' forced transportation of materials into Ren'ai Jiao shows that this broken ship that has been "beached" for many years has become seriously aged. Although China allowed the Philippines to transport supplies, it would never agree to send reinforcements. It is foreseeable that the broken ship may disintegrate on its own soon after, at which point the Philippine garrison will not be able to legally exist. The Philippines has also hinted that it has softened its attitude on the South China Sea issue and refused to participate in the joint military exercises of the United States, Japan and Australia.
Comprehensive analysis shows that the Philippines has both risky behavior on the Ren'ai Jiao issue and is also seeking to reduce tensions in the South China Sea. Therefore, China did not rush to use force when resolving the Ren'ai Jiao issue, but was committed to maintaining its power, because the real opponent is not the Philippines, but the United States. Strength is the key to solving problems, and resolving disputes through peaceful means is the best policy, and force is only the last option. In any case, China's peaceful development strategy will remain the most remarkable success story on the international stage.